Chapter 3 Thoughts Chen Liangyu never looked back.
Chen Liangyu ordered Gao Guan to escort the kidnappers from Beiyong to the imperial prison, and instructed Jingming to return to the northern suburban camp to report to the Crown Prince and his elder brother that Princess Jiangning had been found safely. Chen Liangyu himself left a group of men to guide and escort Princess Jiangning back to the palace.
Upon seeing its master, Redmane excitedly stomped its front hooves.
Chen Liangyu was in a dilemma. Hongzong didn't like being touched by strangers, let alone being used to carry people. Just as she was about to order the soldier behind her to fetch a carriage from the nearest government office, she saw Xie Wenjun reach out and stroke the mane on Hongzong's neck.
Red-maned hands cupped her palms, a rare display of gentleness towards strangers.
Does it have a name?
"Red Mane".
“Red Mane,” Xie Wenjun murmured, standing on tiptoe to stroke his reddish-brown fur, “The name… is quite casual.”
Chen Liangyu acquiesced.
It was quite random; because its entire body was covered in red mane, it was named Red Mane.
Red Mane exhaled a breath of hot air, then knelt on its front hooves and lowered its body, inviting Xie Wenjun to mount its back.
Chen Liangyu cursed inwardly that Hong Zong was also a womanizer who only cared about looks. She would fawn over anyone who was pretty and wasn't afraid that Hong Zong would stab her to death with a hairpin.
After Xie Wenjun climbed onto the horse and settled in, the red mane stood upright. Chen Liangyu removed the reins from the hitching post, saddled himself, wrapped Xie Wenjun in his arms, and spurred the horse forward.
With his red mane steady, he traversed mountains and rivers as if walking on flat ground, and today his steps were even more stable than usual.
Chen Liangyu escorted the person to the palace. It was clear that the city gates would not be opened again tonight. Although there was a curfew in Yongdu, no one dared to stop or question her because she held the Crown Prince's token.
After asking a soldier for directions, she turned and went to the prison.
The night was still, and the men of the Sixteen Guards and Yong'an Prefecture had all gone home. The empty streets stretched long under the moonlight as a lone figure on horseback moved like the wind, accompanied by the occasional crowing of roosters and barking of dogs from the houses.
Since it concerned Beiyong, she became more cautious. If someone was indeed behind it, they would definitely have other plans in Shangyong.
They have sergeant badges; being soldiers makes things easier. Using some military methods, we can quickly get what we want out of them.
The guards at the prison gate were changing shifts. Chen Liangyu showed the Crown Prince's decree and was led by a jailer to the cell where the Northern Yong people were being held, where they were taken to the torture chamber.
Rusty torture instruments lined the dilapidated mud walls of the torture chamber, and dried black bloodstains were clearly visible in the mottled grooves of the racks.
A moment later, screams of agony, growing louder and louder, echoed from inside, sending chills down the spines of even the jailers outside, who were used to all sorts of torture.
An hour later, Chen Liangyu took a wet cloth and wiped her hands before coming out. The jailer bowed respectfully as he saw her off. After wiping her hands clean, she handed the cloth back to the jailer, saying, "These people are of great use to the court. I trouble you, sir, to have a physician come and take good care of them, lest they die."
The jailer accepted the damp cloth with both hands, responding with "No, no, no," and "Yes, yes, yes." After seeing Chen Liangyu off, his colleague asked him for help. He spat and reluctantly walked towards the torture chamber, still muttering under his breath, "They're all lazy and shirking their duties. How many people have to do this little bit of work..."
The cursing stopped abruptly the moment he stepped into the torture chamber. Seeing the mess left by Chen Liangyu, the jailer's hair stood on end.
What deep-seated hatred could there be?!
How can this person survive?
After a night of running around, the day was over and it was already getting light.
Chen Liangyu waited in the cool autumn breeze until dawn. When the morning bell rang and the city gates opened, he rode his horse north out of the city.
Last night, having drunk heavily, most of the soldiers were still asleep. Chen Liangyu lifted the curtain of a tent and asked the military advisor for pen and ink. The confession had already been sent to the Ministry of Justice by the jailer, so she copied it down based on the bandit's confession and placed it on Chen Linjun's desk.
According to their confessions, those people were a group of rogue soldiers from Beiyong. After Beiyong was defeated, they lost contact with the main force and followed the crowd to Yongdu. They originally intended to take advantage of Chen Yuanqing's return to the capital to assassinate high-ranking officials and create some chaos in the imperial city, and also to vent their humiliation of defeat. However, they just happened to run into Princess Jiangning, who was watching the commotion in the crowd.
They didn't know she was a princess; seeing her in her fine clothes, they assumed she was a noblewoman. Kidnapping Princess Jiangning was an unexpected bonus. The idea of abducting her back to Beiyong as leverage in negotiations with Dalin was Xie Wenjun's own suggestion to the bandits. After much deliberation, they realized that bringing Princess Dalin back to Beiyong to gain merit was far more rewarding than killing and disposing of a body. However, they lacked a foolproof plan to take the princess out of the city, so they settled in an abandoned house first before making further plans.
The search by the Southern Army alerted them. Seeing their plan about to be exposed, and with the soldiers closing in on the abandoned house, the group panicked and tried to demolish the house to cover their tracks. However, most of the rooftops had already collapsed; collapsing another wouldn't arouse suspicion.
They are truly more trouble than they're worth.
The two countries had just begun peace talks when another dispute arose.
After everything was settled, Chen Liangyu was exhausted. It felt as if her limbs and bones had been crushed by a thousand pounds. Her vision went black, and she fell into a deep sleep.
The welcome-home banquet lasted for three days, and the last two days were relatively peaceful without any further trouble. Chen Yuanqing, unusually in the mood for painting, spread out some paper and began to paint on the simple desk in his military tent.
Water was poured onto the inkstone, and Chen Liangyu stood beside the table grinding ink, yawning incessantly.
She had only been asleep for a short while when Chen Yuanqing called her over.
With a single stroke of the brush, a painting of evening clouds and returning geese was completed. Chen Yuanqing stretched out the Xuan paper, glanced at it briefly, shook his head and sighed, "I'm useless after all; my brushwork is weak."
Despite his bruised eyes, Chen Liangyu peeked out and said, "I think it's fine."
Chen Yuanqing handed the painting to a servant, saying, "Frame it." He then turned to Chen Liangyu and said, "His Majesty mentioned to me that the position of Crown Princess is vacant. Do you understand what His Majesty means?"
Chen Liangyu put down the ink stick, stopped what she was doing, and her drowsiness dissipated considerably. "Your Majesty wants me to become the Crown Prince's second wife?"
"That's what I mean," Chen Yuanqing said.
The former Crown Princess died young, before she was even twenty. Since her passing, the Crown Prince has refused to remarry.
"My daughter doesn't want to."
Chen Yuanqing had anticipated her reluctance and was not surprised. He simply said, "The Crown Prince is wise and open-minded, and he is capable of overseeing the country. He can be entrusted with this task."
Chen Liangyu poured hot tea from a teapot and presented it to Chen Yuanqing, tentatively asking, "Father, what do you think of His Highness Prince Shen?"
Prince Shen, Xie Yuan, was born to Consort Xian and was the third son of Emperor Xuanyuan.
They had met once at the beginning of the year when Xie Yuan, on behalf of the Emperor, came to Dingbei City to deliver a letter of condolence. Chen Liangyu, on her father's orders, went out of the city to welcome him.
Thinking back to that meeting, the scene was far from pleasant.
She fought fiercely with Zhai Ji, the second prince of an enemy country who had sneaked into the country to ambush the delegation, vowing to take his life. Her hair was disheveled and splattered with blood. Upon returning to the military camp, she was punished with twenty strokes of the cane and lay motionless on her bed. Xie Yuan felt guilty for causing her punishment and specially went into her tent to bring her medicine.
Chen Liangyu mistakenly thought the visitor was Chen Linjun and ordered him, "Brother, go and pour me a glass of water."
A cup of hot tea was gently placed on the low table beside the tatami mat, along with wound medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Emperor Xuanyuan had three sons. Crown Prince Xie Yu was decisive and had been in power since then. He had the appearance of restoring order and was respected and feared by the civil and military officials. Prince Qi, Xie Xuan, was well-versed in classics and had outstanding political strategies. He was the most talented in the imperial family, but he was also competitive. Prince Shen, Xie Yuan, was unassuming and had no outstanding achievements. He was always humble and obedient and did not like to fight.
Upon meeting him, Xie Yuan proved to be truly humble and compliant, a good-natured person.
Chen Yuanqing stirred the tea foam and asked her, "Have you taken a fancy to Prince Shen?"
The people of northern Xinjiang are known for their open and uninhibited nature, and it is common for both men and women to discuss marriage and relationships. Having been exposed to this environment, she did not shy away from such discussions.
Chen Liangyu replied, "Just a casual question."
Chen Yuanqing, however, had already discerned the implied meaning. "In that case, I will report back to His Majesty." After a moment's thought, he added, "Prince Shen is a gentle and unassuming person."
Chen Liangyu said, "There is no one who does not strive, Father; there are only those who cannot strive."
Hearing her say that, Chen Yuanqing's expression took on a different meaning, but he didn't reprimand her too much. After a pause, he let her be, saying, "Do as you please."
The following day, after a lengthy report from the six ministries, an imperial edict was issued regarding the bestowal of titles and rewards.
Crown Prince Xie Yu stood below the throne, his face clouded with anger. He glanced indifferently at the carved dragon and lacquered gold screen behind the dragon throne in the Chongzheng Hall, casting a shadow in the corner.
A slender silhouette flashed by.
The side door of Chongzheng Hall had been opened, and Xie Wenjun, pressed against the wall, brushed in like a willow catkin. She buried herself in the heavy shadows behind the carved dragon screen of Chongzheng Hall, hiding behind a corner pillar, her gaze passing through the gaps in the swirling crimson robes, landing on a gleaming silver figure.
Because Chen Liangyu was granted an exceptional reward, she was ranked last. After receiving the decree as usual, she did not rush to express her gratitude and stood up: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask for another reward from Your Majesty."
The jade ornaments hanging from Emperor Xuanyuan's crown obscured most of his expression. In a good mood, he asked, "What reward do you wish to ask of me?"
Chen Liangyu immediately performed the full kowtow and said, "Your Majesty, I admire Your Highness Prince Shen and beg Your Majesty to grant us marriage."
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuan abruptly raised his head to look at Chen Liangyu, his face filled with disbelief, before turning his gaze to the dragon throne.
Emperor Xuanyuan's smile froze on his lips, while the Crown Prince's dark cloud cleared, revealing a face brimming with gratitude that he couldn't hide. Seeing this, Emperor Xuanyuan wanted to force the issue, but neither of them seemed quite willing.
Chen Liangyu was completely bewildered by the sudden uproar and then the rapid silence of the crowd. Before she could even understand what was happening, her seriously injured father, who was still recovering from his injuries, rushed out with lightning speed, knelt down, and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness: "My daughter has been disrespectful before Your Majesty. It is my fault for failing to properly educate her. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Chen Liangyu, unaware of the situation, followed Chen Yuanqing and kowtowed again. It's always good to apologize first when things are going badly; excessive politeness is never a bad thing.
Although the Emperor's decision to establish a Crown Princess was discussed privately with Chen Yuanqing, those with ulterior motives understood that all that was missing was the imperial edict.
Some people believe that without an imperial edict, all speculation is futile, and without official confirmation, it is just empty talk and cannot be taken seriously.
Left Chancellor Xun Xian was secretly delighted.
He also has a daughter who is of marriageable age. If we were to choose a woman to serve as the head of the Eastern Palace, he was confident that the Xun family girl, who had been raised in seclusion for more than ten years, would be more suitable than the Chen family girl who had grown up in the wild.
Right Chancellor Zhang Diancheng squinted, looked left and right, his mustache twitching to the sides, and said, "Youth is truly wonderful, so bold!"
Emperor Xuanyuan sat on the high platform, not uttering a word. The jubilant atmosphere in Chongzheng Hall instantly cooled down, and the whole scene froze like ice in the twelfth lunar month. The officials remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
Unnoticed by anyone, a shadow as thin as a willow catkin flickered at the corner of Chongzheng Hall.
She looked up and saw that Xie Wenjun's pupils were surprisingly bright in the dim light.
The moment I looked up, my gaze fell into the depths of her eyes.
Upon first seeing Xie Wenjun, Chen Liangyu raised her eyebrows, but quickly lowered her gaze.
There is a distinction between the inner and outer courts. Although the princess resides in the Eastern Palace, she should not trespass into the outer court without permission. To prevent Xie Wenjun from being discovered and punished with confinement, Chen Liangyu remained calm.
After a long pause, the voice from the throne finally rang out, carrying the usual sternness that revealed neither joy nor anger: "I understand. The merit of repelling the enemy is a merit for the nation. The memorial you requested will be considered by me."
The heavy palace doors were pushed open, and the court officials filed out, their crimson and dark blue official robes forming small groups, their faces turned to the side as they whispered in each other's ears.
Chen Liangyu glanced at the corner pillar again without realizing it.
The corner of the palace dress that had just been glimpsed was now hidden deeper inside. Xie Wenjun's eyes were filled with astonishment, and a kind of brokenness that Chen Liangyu could not decipher...
Her gaze lingered on Xie Wenjun for a brief moment, then she straightened her face and bowed respectfully in the direction where Xie Wenjun was hiding.
Xie Wenjun pressed against the cold pillar, her face tense.
The etiquette was impeccable and meticulous, without the slightest pause. After the ceremony, Chen Liangyu didn't even straighten up to look at Xie Wenjun's reaction before turning and leaving the hall decisively.
Then she left.
The Chongzheng Hall, so empty it was unsettling, now only had a small silhouette left behind in the shadows of the carved dragon screen.
Rong Jun, the Imperial Guard of the Eastern Palace, was ordered by the Crown Prince to bring Xie Wenjun back to the Eastern Palace. When the eunuchs from Chongzheng Hall came to find her, she was still leaning against a corner pillar.
Her chin rested on the collar of her dress, as if a policy essay question given to her by her elder brother was placed before her.
Disaster.
It's troublesome and difficult to resolve.
Standing there for a long time under the gloom, I thought it was the sky outside that had turned gray. Outside the palace, the sky was bright and sunny, and the auspicious beast heads on the eaves of the Meridian Gate were holding a cloud of silk-white silk in their mouths.
Rong Jun instructed the two eunuchs who had found Xie Wenjun in Chongzheng Hall: "Princess Jiangning mistakenly entered the front hall today. His Highness the Crown Prince will certainly teach her a lesson. You two eunuchs do not need to report to His Majesty again."
"Yes, Lord Rong."
Xie Wenjun's fingertips gripped the sun-warmed wood grain of the fence, her gaze lingering on a person beneath the Meridian Gate.
Below the steps, Chen Liangyu walked beside her father and brothers, trailing behind the officials who had just finished their court session as they exited the palace through the passageway at the Meridian Gate.
The crimson cloak trailed down to her knees, highlighting Chen Liangyu's straight and slender back, which swayed in an arc with her clean strides.
The morning light stretched the shadows long and slanted, but Chen Liangyu did not turn around.
A note from the author:
To avoid affecting the reader's reading experience, please note: the female protagonist's yuri soul remains unawakened for a long period of time. The story is set in ancient times, and at her age, she needs to consider marriage. As the legitimate daughter of a noble family, marriage is a very important bargaining chip for her.
The female lead is a virgin, and the story ends happily.
Note: King Shen had an official consort.
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